Town of Evans establishes a new DPW

The Town of Evans has dissolved their Water and Parks departments, and officially established a Department of Public Works, which also will include the marina.

Supervisor Keith Dash said that the town decided on this move for a variety of reasons.

“The main reason we are making this move is that our Water Department is shrinking and we are still in the process of negotiating our lease agreement with Erie County Water Authority,” Dash said. “Also, our crew chief has fallen ill and we have another worker who was out on workers compensation, which limits us to basically two full-time and two part-time workers right now.”

Dash also cited a lack of financial resources for the move, which he described as more of a lateral one, or a reshuffling.

“We don’t have the money because of the comptrollers audit, we don’t have the money to go out and hire new people right now, and we’re not going to be in the water business after the Erie County Water Authority takes us over, so as we get closer to those negotiations, we had to think about what makes sense for our town and how can we utilize the manpower that we have to the fullest. And a recommended measure was to put those departments under one head.”

With the move, there will be no loss of jobs, and also no addition of jobs either.

“The heads of those departments that were dissolved will become full time employees, or foremen’s and experts in those departments, though right now it’s a little premature to say that for sure.”

The new department of public works will be under the direction of the town highway superintendant.

Other important notes:

• Thomas George Jr. was appointed as a consultant to the Town of Evans Police Department at a rate $40 per hour.

• A public hearing will be held regarding Proposed Local Law No. 5 for 2012, which would amend the speed limit of Lake Shore Road, between a point of 100 feet of the east entrance to AJ Schmidt to a point 1320 feet west, Oct. 17 at 7:10 p.m.